Lamp socket



Jan. 21, 1941. Q B BE'NANDER 2,229,403

LAMP SOCKET Fled D80. l5, 1958 Imbom $90162@ B. Behemdef,

by @Attorney Patented Jan. 21,1941

- UNITED y STATES' PATENT f orricE whims. (ci. 17e-35s) It is an object of the invention to provide a Fig. 4 which illustrates the COIltaCt 2|. by wey 0f l lamp socket of the type described which is of example.' Each contact is formed at one 'end compact design employing relatively few parts with spaced arms 25 and 26 having pointed ends which are easily assembled,4 which is provided 2l. The conducting cord is inserted between the with a supporting means such that it may be spaced arms and thereafter the arms are pressed u easily attached to a supporting object and which toward each other causing the contact member may be manufactured at low cost. to grip the cord and forcing the points 21 into In the accompanying drawingl Fig. 1 is an eleengagement with one of the conductors of the vational view of a lamp socket constructed in electric cord. The contact members I8 and 2I accordance with my invention showing the socket are placed on opposite sides of the electric cord.

supported upon a limb of a Christmasltree, and as shown by Fig. 3, so that each of the contacts zo provided with a decorative lamp therein; Fig. 2 engages a separate conductor of the cord. is a view with part of the socket housing removed After assembly of the contact members v upon showing the interior of the socket; Fig. 3 is 'an the Conducting 60rd. theseelements are Pleeed exploded view of the elements of the socket; Fig. Within one of the halves of the housing with the 25 4 is a view showing one manner of connecting the Contact members I8 and 2| resting in the grooves 4 .socket contacts to an electrical conductor; Fig. 5 l1 and 20, respectively, end the Cord 24 seated is 'a view showing a modified manner of conin the slot 23. The other half of the housing is necting the contacts to theconductor,` and Fig. 6 then joined with the rst half to form an encloo 'is a perspective view of the contacts employed sure for the contact elements and to form a rew I in the modied form of the construction shown Ceptaole for the lamp bese |4- by Fig. 5. y The exterior surface of the assembled housing Referring to thev drawing, the lamp socket In is formed with spaced grooves 28 in the form of is provided with a housing formed in two parts spiral threads which receive the convolutions of II and I2 which are preferably formed of molded o spirally coiled .Wire 0r spring 29 The spiral u insulating material, such as a phenolic conden- Wlre may be threaded directly uponthe'assemsation product. Each half of the housing Is probled'pgrts 0f the housing and serves to hold them vided with a. recess I3, the wall of which is securely in position. The convolutions of the threaded so that when the parts of the housing Wire or spring are spaced apart a distance such are united together a receptacle is formed for that the ndiltingy Cord may Dess between ad- 40 receiving the base I4 of an electric lamp I5, jacent convolutions, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Each part .of the housing is identical in con- While ordinarily the grooves 28 Provide sumstruction so that a. description of one will sumce cient means for retaining the coiled spring for a description of both. around the housing, the conducting cord, by pass- At the bottom of the recess I3 is an opening I6 ing between the convolutions of the wire, proa merging with a longitudinal groove I'I and tovides additionalmeans to prevent it from sliding gether adapted to receive a center contact memoff the housing under any sudden pulls. ber I8. For engaging the center contact on a Not only does the coiledlspring 29 secure the lamp base, the contact member I8 is provided two parts of the housing together, but it' acts as with an extension I9 which is bent at an angle a supporting medium for mounting the lamp and seated within the opening I6. A second socket. By extending several of the spiral congroove 20 is formed in the housing and extends volutions beyond the socket housing a supporting v from the inner wall of the recess in a direction means is provided which may be easily attached parallel to and spaced from the groove Il. A to a. variety of objects. In the showing of Fig..

second contact member 2l is adapted to be placed 1, the spring 29 is shown attached to vthe limb 55 This invention relates to lamp sockets, and

more particularly to lamp sockets for use with lamps mounted in a decorative string, such as Christmas tree lamps. Such lamp sockets must be of small size and must be adapted for mounting on la variety of supports, such as the limbs of a Christmas tree, in a'manner which permits them to be ,readily removed and yet held securely in place.

transversely of the housing part II intersecting 'the grooves. I1 and 20. 5

Each ofthe Contact members Is and 2| 1s clamped around a conducting' cord 24 to provide .a mechanical and electrical connection with the cord. This .structure is shown Imost clearly. by

t0 of a Christmas tree. Due to the fact that the convolutions of the spring may be spaced apart as occasion demands, they may be attached to objects of various sizes and shapes; at the same time, the spring provides a resilient supporting means for the lamp socket and protects the attached lamp from damaging jars.,

By lthe construction descri-bed a single element comprising :the spring 28 is provided to hold the parts of the socket in assembled relationship and, at the same time, provide a ymounting means for the socket and lamp. Several of the socket constructions may be mounted along an electric cord simply by 'clamping fthe contact elements in the desired places and assembling the housing around them. It is unnecessary 4to cut lthe oord when attaching the socket; this makes for a stronger construction since it is impossible to separate the cord and contacts and pulls on the cord are transmitted directly therethrough. As shown by Fig. 2, ample contacting surface between the lamp base and the socket contacts is attained by the extension I9 which engages the center contact of the lamp base and -by the curved portion 22 which engages the outer contact shell of the lamp base, as the base is screwed into the recess I3.

In the form of the invention illustrated by Figs. 2,4 3 and 4, the socket contacts are connected rto the electric cord in such a manner 'that the lamps are connected in parallel. In Some instances it is necessary to connect the lamps inv series; Figs. 5 and 6 show a construction to accompli-sh this Iresult. The housing il is provided wiitlh spaced openings 3i connected by grooves with the recess i3 for receiving the ends of 'the conductors 32 which are fastened therein by the contacts 33. rIIhe center contact -is provided with a bent-over por-tion 34 for engaging the center contact of a lamp base while the other contact 33 is provided with an exten-sion 35 formed with oorrug-ations wlhich are aligned with the threads in the recess i3 to engage the contact shell of a lamp base. In order Ito make electrical connection with the conductors the contacts 33 are provided with a plurality of prongs 36 which pierce the insulation of the conductor to engage the conducting wire. The contacts are secured in the openings 3i lby the serrated arms 3'! which engage the walls of the openings and fasten the contacts in position. The contacts and conductors are assembled in the housing by placing Ithe ends of the conductors over .the opening-s 3| and thereafter forcing the contacts into the openings so that -they engage the conductors and the walls of the opening in the manner indicated. Thereafter, the otlher portion of 'the housing is placed over the assembly and the ytwo pants of the housing are secured -together by means of the spring 29 in the manner shown by Figs. l and 2.

Wha-t I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

'1. In a lamp socket, a 'two-part housing having e. recess therein, contact means disposed in said recess, said housing having grooves in said parts, said gnooves combining .to form a helical groove over the surface of the housing when said parts are assembled with each other, and a helically coiled wire having spaced convolutions, said Wire being threaded on to said groove wi-th a plurality of said oonvolutions seated therein surrounding the pants of said housing to secure them together and the remainder of 'which extend beyond said housing with -the spaced convolutions being adapted :to grip an object to form 10 a resilient support for said housing.

2. In a lamp socket, a two-pant housing having a recess therein, said housing having a groove merging with the bottom of said recess, a second groove merging with the wail of said recess, 15

ing having spaced guiding means on the outer 20 periphery thereof, and a helically coiled wire having spaced convolutions surrounding said housing. a portion of said convolution-s cooperating with said gui-ding means to secure said parts together with said contacts in operative position, the remainder of said convolutions extending beyond said housing and being adapted to engage a supporting member for mounting said socket.

3. In a lamp socket, a. 4twopart housing having a recess therein, said housing having grooves merging with :the bottom and side walls of said recess and a slot extending transversely of said grooves, contacts electrically and mechanically connected to a conducting cord, said contacts resting in said grooves and extending into said recess for engaging Ithe base .of a lamp seated in said recess, and said conducting cord resting in said slot and extending lbeyond rthe connes of the base, said housing being provided with grooves in said parts, said last-mentioned grooves combining to form a helical groove over the surface of the housing when said parts are assembled with each other, and a helically coiled wire surrounding the two parts of said housing and resting in said helical groove to secure the pantstogether with said con-ducting cord extending between the convolutions of said wire, said wire having addition-al convolutions extending beyond said base which are adapted to grip an object to form a resilient mounting means for said housing.

4. In a lamp socket, a two-part housing having a recess therein, contact means disposed in said recess, said housing having spaced guiding means formed on the outer periphery thereof, and a helically coiled Wire having spaced convolutions, said wire being threaded around said housing with a portion of said convolutions engaging and cooperating with said guiding means to secure the parts of the housing together and the remainder of the convolutions extending beyond said housing and being adapted to grip an object to form a resilient support for said housing.

GEORGE B. BENANDER. 

